Government to create 40,000MW of rooftop solar power capacity in ashrams

Government has drawn up plans to create 40,000MW of rooftop solar power capacity in ashrams spread across the country. For this, the Union new and renewable energy ministry is roping in religious and interfaith gurus who will demonstrate the virtues of green energy and set an example by ensuring that their ashrams are solar powered.
In the month of May, Radha Soami Dera in Amritsar became the world's largest single rooftop solar power facility. Its Rs 140 crore solar energy system which is spread over more than 80 acres of rooftops has the ability to generate an estimated 19MW of power.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 12 September 2016.

As indicated by the new and renewable energy secretary, the gurus will act as spiritual partners of International Solar Alliance. This is a global grouping of over 100 'sunshine countries' between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn that had been launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Paris climate summit last December.
Since spiritual and interfaith gurus have a large number of domestic and overseas followers who visit their 'ashrams' (hermitages), or meditation centres, in big numbers, these gurus are ideally placed to showcase and demonstrate the values and virtues of solar energy to a global audience.
A data bank of at least 100 large ashrams is being drawn up to seek their cooperation and commitment for setting up solar power projects. They will, in return, get a 'commitment certificate' that will recognize their contribution to the solar cause. There are further plans to hold a global conference of interfaith leaders to showcase the commitment.
The government has an ambitious target of creating 175GW of solar energy capacity by 2022. This would include 40,000MW rooftop solar power capacity and it will be a part of the strategy to reduce the country's carbon footprint.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


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125 hotels in Haridwar identified for dirtying the Ganga - faces strict action including closure

The state Pollution Control Board (PCB) plans to initiate action against 125 hotels in the city of Haridwar for dumping their effluents into the Ganga. This is in clear violation of a National Green tribunal (NGT) order of August 19 which has made it mandatory for all hotels with 20 or more rooms to have their own sewage treatment plant (STP) or bio-digester so that untreated sewage from them does not go into the river.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 3 September 2016.

The PCB had asked the regional office at Roorkee to provide a list of hotels in Haridwar with 20 or more rooms. Accordingly, a list of 125 hotels in this category was submitted to the PCB and all these hotels are allegedly flouting the NGT order because their sewage goes directly into the Ganga.
A list of ashrams and dharmashalas in the category is also being prepared.
Till now, 12 hotels in Garhwal and 15 in Kumaon have been sealed for flouting the NGT order. In Haridwar, five hotels have already faced action from the PCB for flouting the order. These were issued closure orders. But they have gone to court and were allowed time till August 27 to set up their STPs, which they have complied with.


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